'EUIdeas: The Power of Knowledge' will take place in Florence Friday, 8 May 2026.
'EUIdeas: The Power of Knowledge' is the flagship research and public‑engagement event of the EUI’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Conceived as a full day of exchange and reflection, the event brings together academics, policymakers, civic actors, local authorities, the EUI community, alumni, and the wider public to explore how knowledge can guide Europe through the major societal and geopolitical transformations of our time.
Centred on the theme of the power of knowledge, the programme weaves together a series of coherent conversations inspired by the structural challenges and crises shaping Europe’s present and future. Through plenary discussions, thematic sessions, and networking moments, EUIdeas provides a space where research insights meet public debate, encouraging diverse perspectives and collaborative approaches to Europe’s most pressing issues. The event also celebrates the EUI’s longstanding contribution to thought leadership and its vision for the evolving role of universities in society.
Open to all stakeholders upon registration, EUIdeas transforms the Badia Fiesolana into a vibrant arena for interdisciplinary dialogue. By actively involving scholars, practitioners, artists, policymakers, and citizens, the event reinforces the EUI’s mission to generate public value, strengthen democratic life, and contribute intellectually to shaping Europe’s future.
Programme:
08:00 – 09:30 Registration, walk-in and welcome coffee
09:30 – 10:30 Refectory Keynote lecture
'Academic freedom: Rights, resilience and responsibilities 50 years on' by Siofra O'Leary, Visiting Professor, College of Europe, and Former President, European Court of Human Rights, EUI Alumna
10:40 – 11:40 Thematic sessions:
- Who decides on our climate? The power of knowledge in environmental governance
- Strategic knowledge: European security in a turbulent world
- European history changes everything – A power of knowledge quiz
12:10 – 13:10 Thematic sessions:
- The power of embodied knowledge: Reimagining peace and justice through a reenactment
- The European social model: Knowledge for a new era
- The power of culture in reimagining Europe
14:30 – 15:20 Refectory Plenary session
'Neither mirrors nor models? Universities and contemporary society' by Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, European Commission
15:30 – 16:30 Thematic sessions:
- The power of evidence for policy
- Knowledge at the border: Rethinking migration governance in a changing Europe
- Citizen power: How research shapes European democracy
17:00 - 18:00 Thematic sessions:
- Empowering diplomats: The power of Ideas in negotiations
- The future of the transatlantic relationship: Knowledge, power and strategic autonomy
- AI and the future of knowledge
18:10 – 19:00 Refectory Closing plenary and closing remarks
19:00 – 22:00 Tasting of local products
20:30 – 21:00 Performance by EUI Choir
Register